Pack and Go questions

Carlo Didier · February 16, 2021, 09:24:52 AM

First time that I use Pack and Go.
I wanted to copy my iMatch config and database to a temporary laptop, so I did A pack and go.

As the database has to be on a different disk, I selected "restore to a different folder". From there, I copied the database to the new folder, the ProgramData and the users' appdata roaming to the corresponding folders.
Despite this, when I start iMatch, it looks like a fresh installation. The panels are not configured as on the source PC, all settings are on default and none of my workspaces show up. No settings seem to have been recovered.

The Windows username is different, but when I copy the files to the correct folders for that user, iMatch should get all the settings, right?

Also, it thinks it has to rescan lots of unchanged folders, but that's an issue I also have from time to time on the main PC (and NO, I have checked again and again, there are absolutely no changes to those folders outside of iMatch).

David_H · February 16, 2021, 10:01:44 AM

Quote from: Carlo Didier on February 16, 2021, 09:24:52 AM
The Windows username is different, but when I copy the files to the correct folders for that user, iMatch should get all the settings, right?

Don't forget to set the username alias (Preferences->Application->Settings) to make it match your primary username, otherwise it won't find the settings entries....

thrinn · February 16, 2021, 10:40:30 AM

The Alias topic is documented here.
You might also have to pay attention to File System Permissions.

Carlo Didier · February 16, 2021, 02:27:22 PM

Quote from: David_H on February 16, 2021, 10:01:44 AM
Quote from: Carlo Didier on February 16, 2021, 09:24:52 AM
The Windows username is different, but when I copy the files to the correct folders for that user, iMatch should get all the settings, right?

Don't forget to set the username alias (Preferences->Application->Settings) to make it match your primary username, otherwise it won't find the settings entries....

I did add an alias... but the wrong way around (or the correct way for my logic

).
I added the username for the temporary PC as an alias on the database before I packed it on the main PC.
My logic was that I thought I had to have it there before starting iMatch on the other PC.

Did it the other way around now and that works, mostly. iMatch still started as if the first time, but once the database was open all was as it should be. A bit irritating, because, before actually opening the database, it looks like it didn't work.

For context, I'm testing iMatch on a friends new laptop to evaluate if it would be a good PC for me too, as my old laptop started acting up on me since a week ago. Nearly every time I wanted to power it up, it wouldn't (nothing happening at all when I pressed the power button, so Windows isn't the culprit, it wouldn't even show the power light). I had to take out the battery for a minute to be able to power it up.

As a MacBook Air with M1 CPU wouldn't run iMatch in emulation, I'm now looking for a new Windows laptop and this friends HP Spectre ticks all my boxes: 11th gen i7, 16GB RAM, at least 1TB SSD, 13" full HD display (no power hungry over-resolution), compact and relatively lightweight and yet robust.

Mario · February 16, 2021, 03:00:00 PM

IMatch loads user-specific settings via the Windows user name (default) or the user name alias you enter one.
Note that some settings are not user specific but computer-specific. Or user/computer-specific.

Jingo · May 14, 2021, 04:51:51 PM

Bringing this topic back up... I have a new PC build and I am transitioning Imatch to the new PC.

I am using the SAME username on both PC's... so no alias is needed. I used Pack-N-Go on the old machine and loaded it to the new one. Then, I did a relocate on the hard drive so the database could find the images. All worked great... except - I noticed my workspaces are not listed in the View menu...

Since the windows user is the same between both machines - should I not just see them automatically?

Mario · May 14, 2021, 06:01:47 PM

Workspaces depend on physical computer attributes like screen size DPI etc. and are thus computer-specific.

Jingo · May 14, 2021, 08:33:21 PM

Hmmm... I figured it out... It looks like the .PTS file in a Pack & Go backup will not being copied to the new computer if is older than the new installation - unless you unclick the button to allow overwrite... How did I miss that!?!?!

All is now good... sorry!